They Rule

Josh On (New Zealander, born 1972)
of Futurefarmers (USA, est. 1995)

2004

They Rule is a website that illuminates
the invisible networks of corporate
power. A handful of large corporations
control and influence much of the US
economy, and the individuals who sit
on their boards often serve on multiple
boards and in government positions.
These connections are the key to
understanding the extent of the influence
of the so-called ruling class, but this
information is never made explicit. They
Rule collected data in 2004 from company
directories and SEC filings and created
visual maps of the links among companies,
institutions, and individuals. Users
select which people or institutions they
would like to research; the maps quickly
grow into complex, interconnected webs
of boardroom tables and business suits,
clearly demonstrating the cloistered
nature of power in our capitalist system.
These maps can be shared and annotated
by multiple users, building community
and dialogue around these questions.
Designer Josh On hopes that They Rule
“will raise larger questions about the
structure of our society and [for] whose
benefit it is run.” The site was first
designed in 2001 and revamped in 2004.